(LEWISTON, Maine) — At least 20 people are believed to be dead from a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday evening, according to multiple sources briefed on the situation. Dozens of other people were injured, sources said.
The person of interest is still at large and has been on the run for hours, law enforcement said.
The shooting may have unfolded in multiple locations, including a bowling alley where a children’s league was taking place and a local bar, officials said.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Oct 26, 6:20 AM EDT
Shelter in place advisory expanded to Bowdoin
“We are expanding the shelter in place advisory and school closings to include the town of Bowdoin. Please stay inside your homes while more than 100 investigators, both local and federal work to locate Robert Card who is a person of interest in the Lewiston shootings,” Maine State Police said in a post on social media.
A news conference is scheduled at 10:30 am today at Lewiston City Hall.
Oct 26, 3:19 AM EDT
Maine State Police to give briefing Thursday morning
ABC News has learned that Maine State Police plan on briefing the media at 10:30 a.m. ET on the mass shooting in Lewiston.
Oct 26, 2:52 AM EDT
Lewiston, Lisbon municipal offices closed Thursday
Municipal offices in Lewiston and Lisbon, Maine, will be closed on Thursday, officials said.
In Lewiston, where the mass shooting occurred, officials said they would also close the library and cancel all events, including early voting, at city buildings.
“Non-emergency personnel should stay at home tomorrow too,” the city said in a social media post.
The nearby town of Lisbon, where police sources said the person of interest’s Subaru had been traced, also closed municipal buildings on Thursday.
“Please prioritize safety and continue to shelter in place,” Lisbon officials said in a notice on the town website.
Oct 26, 2:01 AM EDT
Maine shooting is ‘worst mass shooting’ of 2023, says gun violence nonprofit
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night is already the deadliest shooting of the year.
At least 20 people are believed to be dead from the shooting with dozens more injured.
The suspect has been on the run for hours.
This is the 565th mass shooting of 2023 and the 31st mass murder, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Oct 26, 5:50 AM EDT
Family hides at bowling alley
Riley Dumont said her 11-year-old daughter was bowling in a children’s bowling league when she heard several shots.
Dumont’s father, a retired police officer, then corralled their family into a corner.
“I was laying on top of my daughter. My mother was laying on top of me,” Dumont told ABC News.
Dumont said she saw three or four apparent victims.
Oct 25, 11:05 PM EDT
Person of interest identified
Lewiston police have identified a person of interest as Robert Card.
Oct 25, 11:45 PM EDT
Person of interest served in military, is a firearms instructor: Sources
Police in Maine have identified a person of interest in the shooting, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
The person of interest has a history of military service and is a firearms instructor, the sources said.
The sources said he also has a mental health history, including a two-week stay this summer at a mental health facility after he allegedly made threats about carrying out a shooting at a National Guard facility.
Authorities have traced his white Subaru to a location in Lisbon, Maine, sources said.
Oct 25, 10:36 PM EDT
Manhunt underway in Maine
The Lewiston Police Department has issued a shelter-in-place order for the city. Residents are urged to stay inside with their doors locked.
The FBI is sending in aviation units to help in the search for the gunman. New Hampshire police are putting up roadblocks to try to confine the gunman if he’s on the run.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement, “I am aware of and have been briefed on the active shooter situation in Lewiston. I urge all people in the area to follow the direction of State and local enforcement.”
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said New Hampshire “officials have been in touch with our counterparts in Maine to offer and provide any medical and safety resources needed as they manage this horrific situation. Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Maine.”
President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Gov. Mills, Maine Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and “offered full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” according to the White House.
Oct 25, 10:22 PM EDT
Mayor is ‘heartbroken’
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement, “I am heartbroken for our city and our people. Lewiston is known for our strength and grit and we will need both in the days to come.”
Lewiston is about 35 miles north of Portland, Maine.
A nurse at Maine Medical told ABC News the shooting unfolded at a bowling alley during its youth night.
“Maine Medical is on lockdown right now awaiting Lewiston patients,” the nurse said. “They just called for [emergency department] nurses and critical care nurses to come in [and] set up three stretchers to each single critical care bay. They just got their first two patients — both gunshot wounds to their thighs.”
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